Stolen art returned; Main Line housekeeper sentenced for theft

NORRISTOWN — As a stolen, framed artistic image of renowned composer and conductor Victor Herbert was returned to authorities on Friday, a former Main Line housekeeper faced the music for stealing it.

Andrea Lawton, 47, who listed an address along Hazelhurst Street in Philadelphia, showed no emotion as she was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 10 years’ probation after she pleaded guilty to felony charges of burglary and conspiring with an unidentified, unindicted conspirator to commit burglary in connection with the August 2012 theft from the Bryn Mawr home of one of her wealthy ex-clients.

In addition to the framed, autographed image of Herbert, valued at about $80,000, Lawton stole a rare 18th century bust sculpture of Benjamin Franklin from the Main Line home of Philadelphia lawyer George D’Angelo. The bust, which has an estimated value of about $3 million, is currently at a New York museum undergoing restoration, according to authorities.

Lawton will serve the county sentence, negotiated between First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and defense lawyer Michael John, and imposed by Judge Carolyn T. Carluccio, at the same time as she serves the six-year federal prison term she received earlier this year for taking the stolen Ben Franklin bust out of state.

Lawton, wearing a red, federal prison jumpsuit and a brightly colored bandanna on her head, did not respond to a reporter’s questions as she left the courtroom in handcuffs.

John, shortly before Lawton’s hearing began, appeared in the courtroom with the framed Herbert photograph, which also includes the conductor’s baton. Authorities said the piece was recovered intact and it was returned to D’Angelo, who was in court with his son.

“It’s a pleasure to see something like this come together in the courtroom,” said Carluccio, referring to the smile she observed on D’Angelo’s face as he saw the work of art for the first time since it was stolen.

Carluccio added the art work was significant, “emotionally for the victim, historically to the art world.”

According to John and Steele, the art was recovered and under a “no questions asked” agreement between Lawton and prosecutors, authorities accepted it and returned the work to D’Angelo.

“I was grateful and I commend Mr. Steele for working with me to get this returned so that Mr. D’Angelo could receive it back in good condition. It’s obviously a unique piece that on a black market wouldn’t have a lot of value and most likely would end up rotting away on a landfill someday, so I’m glad it’s back. I can’t discuss how it was returned because of the no questions asked policy.”

“It was a very unique case and it was very rare to be in court on a case like this where at the end of the day everyone seems to be happy with the result,” added John, who wouldn’t reveal when the piece was recovered.

Authorities would not comment about the role Lawton played in the recovery of the art or about the circumstances that led to its recovery or who was involved in the recovery.

“I can’t answer any questions as to how it was returned but obviously she (Lawton) had an interest in getting it returned,” said John, who was assisted in the case by legal intern John Mariotz, a second-year student at Michigan State University School of Law.

Steele also wouldn’t comment about the specifics of the recovery of the art.

“Throughout the course of this, our intention was to try and get this priceless piece of artwork back,” said Steele, who was assisted on the case by Special Assistant District Attorney Devon Turner. “When the defendant faced substantial time on this matter, the defense attorney and I came to an agreement that if the piece was returned that we would give her a probationary sentence for her crimes.”

Steele said D’Angelo and his family supported the sentencing agreement.

“It was a no questions asked situation and the piece was returned,” Steele explained.

In May, Lawton was sentenced in U.S. District Court to six years in a federal penitentiary after she pleaded guilty to a charge of interstate transportation of stolen property in connection with the theft of the bust, created by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon, from the Black Rock Road home she once cleaned.

Federal authorities alleged Lawton, after the theft, fled to Alabama where she hid for weeks while trying to solicit a buyer for the bust. The Franklin bust was recovered, albeit cracked at the breastplate, at the time of Lawton’s September 2012 arrest at an Elkton, Maryland, bus depot as she returned from Alabama.

Lawton will be responsible for paying restitution in connection with the restoration of the Franklin bust, testimony revealed Friday. That restitution is currently estimated to be at least $47,000.

Lower Merion detectives said Lawton worked for a cleaning service that had been hired to clean the home last summer. After being fired from the job on Aug. 21, Lawton returned to the home on Aug. 24 and took the bust. She was seen leaving the home in a Chevrolet Tahoe as her former co-workers arrived to clean the house. The ex-coworkers discovered the bust missing, its pedestal left on the driveway.

“According to (witnesses), this pedestal had held a bust of Benjamin Franklin which all of the cleaners, including Lawton, were told was extremely valuable,” former Lower Merion Detective Gregory Henry, now a county detective, wrote in the criminal complaint.

Authorities believe Lawton had help during the theft but Lawton apparently has not identified her accomplice.

Prosecutors have speculated that greed or revenge against the cleaning company that fired her were Lawton’s motivation.

In addition to Lower Merion police, the case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U. S. Marshals Service.

Follow Carl Hessler Jr. on Twitter @MontcoCourtNews

The following is an earlier version of this story

NORRISTOWN – A stolen, framed image of renowned composer and conductor Victor Herbert, valued at about $80,000, was returned to authorities Friday as a former Main Line housekeeper faced the music for stealing it.

Andrea Lawton, 47, who listed an address along Hazelhurst Street in Philadelphia, showed no emotion as she was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 10 years’ probation on felony charges of burglary and conspiring with an unidentified, unindicted conspirator to commit burglary in connection with August 2012 theft from the Bryn Mawr home of one of her wealthy ex-clients.

In addition to the framed, autographed image of Herbert, Lawton stole a rare 18th Century bust sculpture of Benjamin Franklin from the Main Line client’s home. The bust, which has an estimated value of about $3 million, is currently at a New York museum undergoing restoration, according to authorities.

Lawton will serve the county sentence, negotiated between First Assistant District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and defense lawyer Michael John, and imposed by Judge Carolyn T. Carluccio, at the same time she serves the six-year federal prison term she received earlier this year for taking the stolen Ben Franklin bust out of state.

John, shortly before Lawton’s hearing began, appeared at the courtroom with the framed Herbert photograph, which also includes an image of a conductor’s baton. Authorities said the piece was recovered intact and it was put in the hands of the smiling and grateful victim, who was in court with his son.

According to John and Steele, the art was recovered and, under a “no questions asked” agreement between Lawton and prosecutors, authorities accepted it and returned the item to the victim.

“I was grateful and I commend Mr. Steele for working with me to get this returned so (the victim) could receive it back in good condition. It’s obviously a unique piece that on a black market wouldn’t have a lot of value and most likely would end up rotting away on a landfill some day, so I’m glad it’s back. I can’t discuss how it was returned because of the no questions asked policy.”

“It was a very unique case and it was very rare to be in court on a case like this where, at the end of the day, everyone seems to be happy with the result,” John added.

Authorities would not comment about the role Lawton played in the recovery of the art or about the circumstances that led to its recovery or who was involved in the recovery.

“Throughout the course of this, our intention was to try and get this priceless piece of artwork back,” said Steele, who was assisted on the case by Special Assistant District Attorney Devon Turner. “When the defendant faced substantial time on this matter, the defense attorney and I came to an agreement that if the piece was returned that we would give her a probationary sentence for her crimes.”

Steele said the victim’s family supported the sentencing agreement.

“It was a no questions asked situation and the piece was returned,” Steele explained.